Quick Guide
For a first run, two guide publishers both identify Paladin and Warrior as approachable starting points, while one ranks Hunter, Warlock and Mage highest for ceiling. These are editorial assessments, not measured win rates or a verified current-version ranking.
- Decide whether you value an easier opening or a developed build’s ceiling.
- Check the original game version and your character’s gear and talent progress.
- Open a recorded build for the class you want, then compare its requirements with your own hero.
Tier lists disagree because they reward different things: a comfortable first run, a developed build, or a theoretical damage ceiling. This page compares attributed recommendations with the original game’s class picker and recorded builds.
On this page
Compare the rankings before choosing
SurvivorsDB places Fury Warrior and Protection Paladin in S for its editorial first-run criteria. Its list is based on class and talent descriptions, not published win rates. Its Protection recommendation involves an invested talent tree, so do not assume a fresh Paladin begins with that finished build.
AzerothSurvivors.io instead puts Hunter, Warlock and Mage in S on its ceiling criterion, while describing Paladin and Warrior as the easiest starts. The difference is about the questions each list asks; neither source establishes a controlled head-to-head result.
Rat Den Gaming’s video below shows another nine-class board: Warrior and Warlock in S, Mage, Hunter and Paladin in A, Priest, Shaman and Druid in B, and Rogue in C. Its description says the board draws on existing community guides and tier lists, so it is a compilation rather than an independent test. Its game version is unknown.
Swipe or scroll sideways to see the full table.
| Source | Priority | Highlighted classes |
|---|---|---|
| SurvivorsDB | First-run safety | Warrior, Paladin in S |
| AzerothSurvivors.io | Ceiling; ease rated separately | Hunter, Warlock, Mage in S; Paladin and Warrior highlighted for ease |
All nine classes at a glance
The tier column below reproduces SurvivorsDB’s editorial first-run list, not a ranking independently tested by this site. The starting spells are a separate observation from our v0.124.0 fresh-character menus. A source may rate a developed specialization, while the starting spell describes a new hero before those talents are earned.
Swipe or scroll sideways to see the full table.
| Class | SurvivorsDB tier and specialization | Starting spell in our v0.124.0 picker | What we have documented |
|---|---|---|---|
| Warrior | S — Fury | Cleave | Recorded Fury talent setup; victory not verified |
| Paladin | S — Protection | Consecration | Fresh menu and recorded Protection victory |
| Hunter | A — Beast Mastery | Auto Shot | Two recorded Marksmanship examples, not Beast Mastery |
| Rogue | A — Combat | Sinister Strike | Fresh picker only; no recorded build breakdown yet |
| Priest | B — Shadow | Smite | Fresh picker only; no recorded build breakdown yet |
| Shaman | A — Elemental | Lightning Bolt | Recorded Enhancement Shock example, not Elemental |
| Mage | B — Frost | Fireball | Recorded Frost talent setup and victory |
| Warlock | A — Demonology | Shadow Bolt | Recorded Affliction example, not Demonology |
| Druid | A — Feral Combat | Wrath | Fresh picker only; no recorded build breakdown yet |
Choose from the original game’s class picker
Our fresh-character comparison on v0.124.0 recorded nine classes, their starting spell and displayed health. Race changed between some selections and we did not test its effect on health, so the numbers are a picker snapshot rather than a survivability ranking. See the full class comparison for the table and screenshots.
For a close-range start, the picker describes Warrior around cleaving attacks and Paladin around holy ground and healing. For ranged play, Hunter starts with Auto Shot, Mage with Fireball and Warlock with Shadow Bolt. Shaman begins with Lightning Bolt; Rogue, Priest and Druid begin with Sinister Strike, Smite and Wrath respectively.
Match the recommendation to your progression
The build guide links recorded examples for Warrior, Paladin, Hunter, Warlock, Mage and Shaman. Their videos show developed characters with talent points or collected equipment; a finished talent allocation is not a new-character levelling order.
For example, the Protection Paladin example shows a 13/31/7 setup on v0.115.0, while the Marksmanship Hunter guide contains separate 11/32/8 and 8/32/11 examples. Versions, gear and difficulty differ, so those recordings cannot fairly rank the classes against each other.
What this tier list does not establish
We have not tested all nine classes under the same conditions, and no independently verified win-rate dataset is used here. Rogue, Priest and Druid also lack dedicated recorded build breakdowns on this site. Treat the attributed tiers as starting points, not promises of the best class for every patch.
Start with the first-run guide, inspect your current menu and choose a class you enjoy. Recheck talent and item descriptions after an update.
Video guides
See the choices in play
Use these related videos alongside the written explanations and your own in-game interface.
YouTube
Rat Den Gaming: nine-class tier list
Sources
Reviewed:
0.124.0
Class picker values were observed on v0.124.0 with fresh characters. The rankings are attributed editorial opinions captured on 29 October 2026; we have not performed controlled nine-class runs or established current win rates.